Domesticity
by Roxie Archer
Summary: Contentment is a feeling not often disturbed by life's small pains or embarrassments. It is the feeling one gets when they are loved. KuroxFai


Disclaimer: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is the intellectual property of CLAMP

Author's Note: This is actually two firsts for me: putting up a fic just hours after writing it and writing a fic based on personal events. I can't believe I don't have anything else to say. Consider it sleep deprivation.

* * *

_Domesticity_

"Oi. Get up and help me."

Fai blinked bleary eyes open unseeingly in the dim light allotted the room by the bedroom curtains.

"Eh?"

"Pick up the shingles from the yard while I work. They're getting in the way."

Fai might have protested…had there been anyone left in the bedroom doorway to protest to. Kurogane was already gone and a moment later his exit was followed by the sound of the slamming front door.

With no one to complain to, Fai drug himself out of bed and pulled on the closest pair of jeans and t-shirt he could find with a yawn. Today was the day Kurogane had decided to redo the bathroom ceiling and build out the bathroom wall. He'd planned the repair weeks in advance to find a day they both had off and could find the time in. But after they had gone to bed, Fai had found he couldn't sleep, so he'd gotten back up and finished the suspense book he'd been reading. By the time he'd went to bed it was four-thirty in the morning.

Fai glanced at the clock as he slipped on his sandals by the door. 8:47AM.

The sunshine at 8:47 in the morning was pleasantly warm and mild. The forecast had called for rain in the afternoon but there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Fai walked around to the back of the house, taking a moment to admire his view from the ground as Kurogane bent over, yanking shingles from their leaky roof. The ground below him was littered with bits of wood and shingles.

Fai started with the shingles, gathering them into piles to carry out front for the garbage man. After the third trip, he was rewarded with the sight of Kurogane's shirtless form, once more standing on ground, taking a long drink from the water bottle he kept handy.

"Good morning." Fai greeted, pressing his lips chastely to the other man's. Just because it was a chaste kiss, did not make it any less desirable to Fai. Sometimes simplicity was just as pleasurable as passion.

"Morning."

Kurogane pulled away to get back to work and frowned suddenly. "What the hell are you wearing those things for?"

Fai had to follow Kurogane's gaze to his own feet to figure out what it was he was referring to.

"There're rusty nails and shit in that garbage. Go get some shoes on."

Fai flashed a brilliant smile. "Aww, is Kuro-rin worried about me?"

Kurogane's frown only deepened. "What are you gonna do if you step on something?" he demanded.

"Now why would I do that?" Fai returned with a laugh.

"Stupid…idiot… Don't blame me if you die of tetanus." Kurogane huffed, climbing the ladder back to the roof.

Fai smiled at his retreating form. If Kurogane ever knew how many times he'd retreated from arguments over the years, his pride as a warrior would be shot.

Deciding to hurry and finish cleaning up the yard so he could go back to bed and get a little more sleep, Fai started gathering up the broken pieces of wood, careful of the rusted nails sticking out of them. He piled them in his arms, each with nails facing away from him but when he stepped back to pick up a piece laying behind him, he felt a sharp pain in the heel of his foot. Fai's shoulders tensed at the pain as he lifted his foot away from its source and frowned exaggeratingly.

Of course he would step on a nail right after Kurogane had warned about it.

Kurogane might have been the warrior, but Fai had a little pride in him too, so he willed the pain down and took his load back around to the front of the house, forcing himself to walk without a limp past Kurogane's watchful gaze.

"I'm going to go ahead and put those shoes on." he called up to Kurogane on his way inside. "I'll be back in a minute."

The only indication that Kurogane had heard him was that he looked away from him and went back to his work.

In the house, Fai winced and limped to the bathroom sink, raising his foot up to the counter so he could see the damage. There was a lot more blood than he thought there would be, he hadn't felt it gathering beneath his foot but there was a small pool of it on his sandal and his foot didn't seem to want to turn off the pump.

Taking a red washcloth from the cupboard, he ran cold water and cleaned the wound, pressing harshly until it finally stopped bleeding. He found they were out of neosporin when he looked in the medicine cabinet, so he stuck a bandage over his heel and went in search of a pair of socks to wear with his shoes.

Then he went out and finished picking up the yard. On the last trip, Kurogane leaned over the roof, looking down at him with a concerned frown.

"Go back to bed."

"But I'm awake now!" Fai answered, smiling up at him.

"I can tell you're having trouble." Kurogane returned, the edge in his voice softened just enough to tell Fai he was genuinely concerned. "Just go back to bed before you trip and fall on your face."

Fai nodded, his own smile softening in reply.

"I actually need to run downtown for something, then I'll go back to bed. Need anything?"

"No."

Fai nodded and took his last load to the garbage can. Then he drove down to the dollar store they generally walked to and bought a tube of neosporin. Kurogane was waiting for him in the house when he got back. He took hold of Fai's arm in one hand and took the bag from him with the other.

Fai mentally braced himself for the scowl that Kurogane gave to the bag in his hand when he discovered its contents.

"Let's see it."

Fai sighed as he took a seat at the kitchen table and took off his shoes and the sock from his left foot. Kurogane brought a washcloth, the peroxide, and bandages and sat opposite Fai, taking his foot onto his lap.

The bandage was red on the outside when Kurogane peeled it back and Fai winced slightly at the sight. "It's not as bad as it looks." he said, reaching for the washcloth but Kurogane swatted his hand away and took the cloth himself, carefully cleaning the wound with it. Then he poured peroxide over the small cut, using the wet cloth to catch the runoff.

Fai watched with dismay as it bubbled in the wound. After a second round, Kurogane dried his foot and bandaged it with the neosporin, but he kept Fai's foot in his lap. Fai thought; maybe he was deciding whether or not to scold him for it but Kurogane said nothing. Instead, he let the foot go a moment later and went to the sink to wash his hands, then he went to the fridge and got the eggs and butter out.

"I'm making breakfast." Kurogane stated (and obviously, Fai thought). "You want some?"

A smile spread itself on Fai's face. "Sure."

Kurogane nodded and turned to get out the frying pan.

"Kuro-pu, could you pour me some orange juice?" Fai asked, with just a hint of a pathetic whine.

"Don't push it." Kurogane snapped back. But he was pulling down a glass from the cupboard as he said it and Fai's grin only widened. If he played all of his cards right, he might even get dessert too.

"Quit grinning at me like some kind of lecherous cat." Kurogane complained, wrinkling his nose as he sat Fai's orange juice in front of him on the table. "Geeze, let me get something done today."

Fai beamed happily at Kurogane's back as he went back to the stove. "Kuro-ta knows me so well."

* * *

Post whatevers: And now...I'm going back to bed. If you never hear from me again, you'll know what happened. As always, if you liked, please review. Ja!


End file.
